Supplements
Interpret/Compile
Making WebPages
Plug-in
Java 5.0 Features
The JVM
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Alt. Compilers
Alt. JVMs
Java Deployment

The Tech Track discusses a broad array of topics related to the general application of Java to science and engineering. The Physics Track offers an example of using Java in a specific field.

In particular, we use Java to create a short course on the basic software tools needed for a modern physics experiment and how Java could provide these tools.

The chapters roughly divide into three parts:

• Numerical analysis - chapters 2-5 give examples of several numerical methods using Java such as solving first order differential equations, root finding, etc.
  
  
• Simulations - Chapters 6-10 concentrates on using Java for simulating both physical phenomena and the experimental apparatus for studying them.
  
  
• Analysis - Chapters 11-12 look at the techniques for analyzing experimental data with simulations.

The physics student following this course should first know the material discussed in the Java and Tech sections for each chapter before reading the physics section.

Note: We will discuss a number of numerical algorithms and use them in examples, but we do not try in any systematic way to teach numerical analysis, or computational physics as its now called when applied to physics problems. See the references for books such as that of Pang or Gould & Tobochnik for much more extensive material on numerical programming.

This first chapter gives

• A short discussion of the benefits and shortcomings of Java in physics.
• An overview of the use of simulations in physics and how they have become essential tools for large modern physics experiments, especially to analyze the data.
• Examples of physics simulations:
  • Continuous
  • Event
  • Static
• Exercises

Latest update: Dec.10.2003

            Tech
Java in Science
    & Engineering
Benefits
Shortcomings
RealWorld Examples

           Physics
Java in Physics
SimulationTypes
Simulate&Analyze
Sim. in Experiments
  Demo 1: Event
  Demo 2: Continuous
  Demo 3: Static
Learn by Coding
Exercises